Dollars & Cents
by moonswirl
Summary: Gleekathon, day one hundred and ninety: It's budget season, and Figgins has worries on his mind... and a song in his heart?


_Started my daily ficlets to make the hiatus pass, then decided to keep going with a second cycle, and then a third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eigth cycle, and ninth cycle._

_Now comes the tenth cycle. And since that feels like it should be special, this is what I'm doing: Cycle 10 will feature my top 15 of some favorite things from Glee. Characters, ships, friends... It will be daily ficlets for numbers 15 down to 2, but number 1 will be a 7-chapter story :) Here we go!_  
_**Coming in at number fifteen!**_

* * *

**"Dollars & Cents"  
Principal Figgins**

The budget season was upon them. Everything was on his shoulders, and while it was not without its fair share of stress, he faced it head on. If there was one thing he knew inside and out, it was his school and its monetary needs. Well… he did… William's Glee Club rebirth, coupled with Sue's ever more ambitious Cheerios, made for a whole new set of problems for him to deal with. His wife already knew to expect him late.

Sitting in his office that afternoon, he found himself sighing and shaking his head more than once. He would try to see it as a particularly challenging puzzle… He liked puzzles. He also had an appreciation for other things. Even for a humble principal, there could be a hidden song, a whole private stage to express it.

Very low, like a hum, it was coming, as he looked over the papers spread on his desk. After a moment, he sat back in his chair. He could hear the sound of activity beyond his door, but he turned his chair, to be alone with his thoughts and his song. He picked up a book from his shelf, "Money," staring at it for a moment, then pressing it to his chest, lifting his head and voice.

_[F] "Money makes the world go around / The world go around / The world go around / Money makes the world go around / It makes the world go 'round._

_A mark, a yen, a buck, or a pound / A buck or a pound / A buck or a pound / Is all that makes the world go around, / That clinking clanking sound / Can make the world go 'round."_

He put the book back as he stood, turning and moving out of his office and into the hall, where students milling about in the hall carried on a hushed chorus as they went about their way.

_[Ch] "Money money money money money money / Money money money money money money / Money money money money money money / Money money"_

A way seemed to part for him as he marched down the hall. Certain faculty members tried to accost him, but he had no answers for them, not yet. All he had was a song, which he carried with pride. The students seemed to understand this. And then there was Sue…

_[F] "If you happen to be rich, / And you feel like a / Night's entertainment / You can pay for a / Gay escapade._

_If you happen To be rich, / And alone, and you / Need a companion / You can ring-ting-A-ling / for the maid._

_If you happen To be rich / And you find you are / Left by your lover, / Though you moan and you groan / Quite a lot, / You can take it On the chin, / Call a cab, And begin / To recover / On your fourteen-Carat yacht._

_Money makes the world go around, / The world go around, / The world go around, / Money makes the world go around, / Of that we can be sure. / (....) on being poor."_

_[F, Ch] "Money money money- money money money / Money money money- Money money money / Money money money money money money / Money money money money money money / Money money money money money money"_

"Figgins!" she called, standing in his way. He indulged her, if only a moment… It would be easier this way, and would guarantee the safekeeping of his mood. He stood there, as she waved a clipboard in his face, crying in outrage over her share of the budget, and the hardships her squad suffered due to his habits of misallocation of funds to 'unnecessary departments' like all the clubs. He just kept staring at her with the same serene look on his face. He still had his song, blocking out her voice. Eventually, she just shoved the clipboard in his hands and moved along. As she departed, he looked ahead to his chorus, gathered with quiet mischief. He smirked.

_[Ch] "Money money money- money money money / Money money money- Money money money / Money money money money money money / Money money money money money money / Money money money money money money"_

As he moved along, he passed the Glee room, its occupants trailing out to lead the chorus as he moved along toward his office once again. Now it seemed Sue had started a storm, leading more of the faculty to drop in demands as he went along. He just took it all in stride.

_[F, Ch] "If you haven't any coal in the stove / And you freeze in the winter / And you curse to the wind / At your face / When you haven't any shoes / On your feet / And your coat's thin as paper / And you look thirty pounds / Underweight. / When you go to get a word of advice / From the fat little pastor / He will tell you to love evermore. / But when hunger comes a rap, / Rat-a-tat, rat-a-tat at the window..."_

He tried not to look at the papers too closely, to keep going on his merry way, but that only made him more drawn to look at the papers, and he came to a stop, causing a few of the Glee girls to shoot up and stand at his shoulder.

_[GG] "At the window..." / [F] "Who's there?" / [GG] "Hunger!" / [F] "Ooh, hunger!"_

Eventually he shook his head, tucking the stack of papers under his arm as he started toward his office once more, the Glee girls continuing to back him up.

_[F] "See how love flies out the door...For / Money makes The world..." / [GG] "...Go around" / [F] "The world..." / [GG] "...Go around" / [F] "The world..." / [GG] "...Go around" / [F] "Money makes the" / [GG] "...Go around"_

As he neared his office, the faculty strike line seemed to be making for a second approach on him – he just needed to get to his office before they got to him. Thankfully he had his chorus, acting as a barrier in between him and them.

_[F, Ch] "That clinking / Clanking sound of / Money money money money money money / Money money money money money money / Get a little, / Money money / Get a little, / Money money / Money money / Money money / Money money / Money money / Mark, a yen, a buck / Get a little / Or a pound / Get a little / That clinking clanking / Get a little / Get a little / Clinking sound / Money money / Money money.. / Is all that makes / The world go 'round"_

When he reached his office, he walked in and shut the door, putting an end to the song.

_[GG] "Money! Money! Money! Money!"_

_[F] "It makes the world go round!"_

He sat back in his chair, putting the papers down with a sigh… It was just one time a year…

THE END


End file.
